PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

Maybe I am asking for the impossible. Anyone know of a light but heavy weighted keyboard controller?

Visit your local music dealer and just test the best. Because they can give you a fast answer. Maybe a telephone call is the fastest. I remember there is one light weight weighted keyboard available, but I don't know the model. Just call, if necessary call a view dealers, they know it, because they want to sell it! Good luck.

What you seek is pricey.
For extreme MIDI Control while playing Physis is incredible.
I didn't like the heavy action.
It isn't comparable to real Pianos even though they say it is.
There's the new VAX w/ PAT that's fairly cheap, haven't played one.
But their old graded action on the VAX77 by Infinite Response was the most enjoyable heavy action I ever played.
Check out muffwiggler forums, keyboard corner forums.
Lots of players there always sharing experiences.

I bet you'd like the VAX.
I think it's 96 keys or something insane.
Maybe have 88s too.

Stay away from cheese like Nektar, MAudio, total junk.

Casio Privia are very compact and have a heavy action.
I have a spare PX 3S 88 as a spare, weighs like 20 lbs.
So adding a heavy bed might make it 35 lbs.

You being a Pianist would like VAX Grade action.
Several various levels of heavy too, not just one.

I'll try the VAX but seems hard to find other than on their website. There is a large dealer here so I'll see if they have it. I do like heavy action even though it feels nothing like a real piano.

Nothing plays and nothing sounds like a real grand piano. But there are a lot of good keys out there, which have an usable alternative feel. But none of these are comparable with a real one. If you never played or owned a real grand, you will never care about the difference.

Well the keyboard manager never heard of a VAX keyboard.

I did get to try a Roli but it kept getting stuck notes even after rebooting the Mac computer. It feels very soft. Was not impressed with the softsynth sounds at all but I suppose with tweaking other VSTi synths would work well with it.

VAX Info here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/12 ... controller

I bet this is what I need.

I have a friend who received his unit IIRC.
Bought Solaris too but no Scope.
I'll see if he's got one and how happy he is.

dawman wrote:I have a friend who received his unit IIRC.
Bought Solaris too but no Scope.
I'll see if he's got one and how happy he is.

Would prefer to buy assembled but worth 4 hours work to have the best. I wonder if I should pledge for it.

You might check out the NI Kontrol 88 key version. They're around $900. I haven't used it but it got some good reviews. I use a Casio Privia 150 that I got for $399. It weighs around 20lbs. It has a great feel (even though the keys have this weird texture, I got used to it) It doesn't have mod and pitch so it ain't great as a controller but I don't use it for synths, I like a synth keyboard feel for that. The best synth feel for me is on the Behringer Motor series. The keys are full size and feel great.

I played a bunch of keyboards today and nothing was wow. VAX has polyphonic aftertouch. That is significant. I wonder what software synths support polyphonic aftertouch since very few people have it in their controller.

Update:

Zebra and Omnisphere have polyphonic aftertouch. Both of those are good I hear.

There's a good deal of software that responds to poly AT, and more hardware than you'd expect has it as a mod source even when the hardware's native keybed doesn't offer this feature. Surprising perhaps, but true

Make sure to get Zebra2 HZ.
It's a fantastic synth.
It's so powerful I program sounds on IEMs, then tweak them over 4000 watt Line Array using XITE-1.

Scope synths sound really good but the Diva Filter, MemoryMoog Resonator and separate VCAs on each of the 4 x grids of modules is a fantastic method, and Scopes Filters just aren't there yet.

PAT could trigger anything but really is fantastic for Filter and LFO modulation work.

Fast forward to 3:46

https://youtu.be/jZww6amtrnI

dawman wrote:Fast forward to 3:46

https://youtu.be/jZww6amtrnI

Thanks Dawman. The Ikon is tempting. Maybe put it on the VAX.

$199? Crazy...

valis wrote:$199? Crazy...

The price and size is great but read the reviews of their smaller keyboard.

https://www.amazon.com/Icon-iKeyboard-6 ... +pro+audio

There's a reason I pay 2 large for just a controller.
Just saying....

dawman wrote:There's a reason I pay 2 large for just a controller.
Just saying....

Yep. I'm actually going to check out the Yamaha NU1 Hybrid Piano (which has real hammers). The bad part (besides the very high price) is I read that the sensors sometimes play a note loudly when the musician is playing softly! So close to perfect yet fuck! This would obviously not be portable (not in my car) as I was originally asking for. It's too bad they don't make one for portability but it would probably weigh 100 pounds if they did.

anabella wrote:Nothing plays and nothing sounds like a real grand piano. But there are a lot of good keys out there, which have an usable alternative feel. But none of these are comparable with a real one. If you never played or owned a real grand, you will never care about the difference.

I just tried the Yamaha NU1 and it feels exactly like a real piano because it has real piano hammers (but no strings). Sensors are from Bösendorfer which Yamaha bought. I actually like the action more than my real piano. The hammer rods are shorter so you can play faster on single notes (takes less time to bounce back).